Everything Thanksgiving- Blessings, Recipes, Crafts and More

Each year we spend Thanksgiving at my grandmother's. After we pray we have a tradition of asking everyone what they are thankful for. I know already what I'm thankful for. I've began to ponder on my blessings in life. From our Heavenly Father's Creation of beautiful fall colors that we Minnesotans were able to enjoy this year, to the white crisp snow that sweeps and fills the trees. 

A few weeks ago....

A few weeks ago my family and I went back to Iowa ( Legend had business meetings) and we were able to visit my parents and grandmother, who in beginning stages of Alzheimer's. We all know its sad to see someone's mind slip slowly away from them. But I felt peace within my family that day, because it seemed as if each of us felt an appreciation for who she is and has been in our lives. Even my oldest son's spirit calmed as he spoke to her gently.  We all sat in the living room while she played on the piano.And boy did she play. She is a wonderful,  extraordinary pianist. It was amazing! 

So to complete the title I just wanted to add a few things that I'm loving right now. This month during homeschool we have been teaching the bull about Early Exploration and Settlement of Columbus, The Conquistadors, and English Settlers. I used the following lesson plan this month for school:

• Land Ho Early Exploration and Settlement of The Americas

Y'all I can't tell you enough how tickled pink I was when I  stumbled upon a great animated movie to incorporate with this lesson. Animated Hero Classics: William Bradford: The First Thanksgiving from Nest Entertainment .The Animated Hero Classic Series consists of 20 inspiring and educational stories of heroic men and women, with the emphasis placed on their accomplishments in world history and social sciences. The series focuses on the role in which they contributed to developing social, economic and political structures as well as in establishing and spreading ideas that helped to transform the world forever.

Teaching historical empathy for those who have made important choices, overcame obstacles, sacrificed for the betterment of others and embarked on journeys that resulted in new ideas, new inventions and new communities throughout the world and history.

Children will expand their knowledge of these extraordinary heroes and heroines while developing an understanding of the economic, cultural and scientific contributions described in these biographies.

With a wide range and continuity of human experiences this series introduces the concepts of courage, self-control, justice, heroism, leadership and patriotism in America. While it is also reinforces and develops core curriculum knowledge, skills and builds positive character values by promoting personal, social, and civic responsibilities. 


At the end of our lessons I like to incorporate a day filled with activities or a field trip.Last year  we had a pow wow with activities, food and music. I listed below a few recipes I used.

Buffalo Stew

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbs buffalo, cut into small pieces ( like stew meat)
• 2 tablespoons whole wheat flour
• 5  potatoes, with skin
• 2 cups baby carrots
• 2 medium onions
• 8 ounces mushrooms
• 1 (14 1/2 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with juice
• 4 bay leaves
• oregano
• fresh ground pepper and salt
• 2 cups beef broth  

Directions

1. Dredge Buffalo in Flour, set aside.
2. Slice  Potatoes, place in bottom of the slow cooker.
3. Cut onions into large pieces and layer over potatoes.
4. Clean Mushrooms thoroughly, cut in half, and layer over onions.
5. Layer Baby Carrots over mushrooms.
6. Layer floured Buffalo over carrots.
7. Pour Diced Tomatoes and liquid evenly over Buffalo.
8. Season with Bay Leaf, Oregano, and Pepper.
9. Pour Vegetable Broth evenly over all.
10. Cook on low for 8-10 hours, stirring towards end.

Were lucky enough to have a buffalo farm close to us. Last year Legend drove there with the bull and they loved it! I served our stew with corn and Navajo Fry bread. And it me tell ya- it was delish! Below is a few books we use for school. My favorite ones for storybook reading and storytelling  is I know An Old Lady Who Swallowed A Pie. And this year I even have a really cool activity to go along with it.  The Activity involves the children retelling the story using the cards and printout. Click here for the activity.

So this year I would love to change it up a bit and maybe have the boys invite 1-2 friends over. Which brings me to crafts and ideas. I'm lovin' (like always) Martha Stewart's  celebrational ideas for Thanksgiving. Here are a few pics I wouldn't mind incorporating.

Well y'all, there you have it. I pray each of you have a blessed Thanksgiving.

God Bless

 

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Fourth Of July Cupcakes And Crafts

I love celebrating the fourth of July. Teaching the bull the past few years about America and the flag has really given me an appreciation for our country and those who serve. One of the greatest songs that I love to hear is America The Beautiful. As I listen to it and ponder on the words, I thank our Heavenly Father for his blessings He has bestowed upon me and each of us as His children. 


So hold your head up high as we celebrate as a country the fourth. We all are truly blessed and have so much to celebrate as we live here in America, the land of the free. 
God Bless

Make your own fourth of July Confetti Popper Rockets with a few easy steps by Alphamom

Join the American Revolution with this fun take on silhouettes by no fuss fabulous.

Boy, don't he look good! I love cupcakes and these red white and blue cupcakes from tidy mom are darling. Below is a great recipe for the perfect cupcake. Its so easy and tasty that know one will know its not from scratch!


Gott'em Fooled Cupcakes

Ingredients

1 box mix - (any flavor but get a good kind. I love me some Duncan Hines!)

3 Large Eggs

1/2 cup butter, melted (use butter not margarine....trust me on this!)

1 cup of water

1t. vanilla extract

Directions

Place the butter in the microwave on HIGH for 1 minute or until melted. Allow time to cool so it doesn't cook the egg.

Add cake mix, eggs and water to the butter in large bowl. Add vanilla.

Mix on low for 1 min. Then mix on high for 1 min.

You'll be amazed by your batter looking so thick and creamy.

Fill cupcake papers - tip: use an ice cream scooper- One scoop is just the right amount per cupcake!

Pop them in the oven on 350 for 20 minutes.

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Craft Idea: May Baskets For Adults And Kids+20% off Michaels Coupon & Joann Teacher Rewards

Celebrate by reviving an old May Day custom: Surprise a loved one by hanging a basket on his or her doorknob.

This is darling. When I saw this on Martha's website I thought "I would love a gift like this. Surely others would too!"

T

This basket was also found on Martha's website for Easter. I think it would make a darling basket for May Day.


Savings, Savings, Savings!
 Seriously, I can barely post something without a deal. Remember-every penny counts! 

Head on over to Michael's this week and use this 20% coupon on your entire purchase (including sale items).

Not close to a Michaels? Well head on over to Jo-Anns website and sign up for there teacher awards program. 

Joann's Teacher Rewards Discount program offers:

• Free discount card for 15% off every purchase* from September 1 to August 31
• Bonus coupon for 20% off any one total purchase when you enroll or re-enroll in the program
• More of our popular, money-saving coupons as a Jo-Ann Preferred Customer.
• Personal notice of the latest sales offers, crafting trends & inspiration.

*Excludes remnants, gift cards, and previous purchases. For teachers-bring teacher identification and state-issued photo id and home school moms are required to bring an affidavit, letter from your district or a PEAH or HSLDA membership number.

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Dr. Seuss Celebrations

Haven't had time this month to celebrate Dr. Seusses birthday? (*blush*-I haven't) Don't fret.Kick off next week with a fantastic frenzy of whimsical weeklong reading activities! For each day of the week, choose a beloved Dr. Seuss book to showcase and organize an activity around the story to encourage student involvement. Try these fun ideas or have your children suggest some themes of their own:

• “Fishy Fun Monday”
  Read One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish aloud to your class. Then, cut out some fish shapes from sponges and have students make a sponge-painted fish mural to display on a bulletin board in your classroom!
• “Try-Anything Tuesday”
  Read Green Eggs and Ham and prepare a sampling of snack foods for students to try. Use food coloring to turn ordinary foods into unusual colors (e.g., turn white frosting purple or vanilla ice cream blue).
• “What’s-In-Your-Pocket Wednesday”
  Invite students to bring a pocket-sized possession from home that they would like to share with the class (e.g., an unusual seashell, a collector’s stamp, an interesting toy or a keepsake). Begin the day by reading aloud There’s a Wocket in My Pocket, then invite students to take turns sharing their own items of interest.
• “Theatrical Thursday”
  Read The Cat in the Hat, then set up a box of costumes and props (e.g., a red & white striped hat and bow tie, a fish costume or plush fish toy, red T-shirts labeled “Thing 1” and “Thing 2”) and invite students to re-enact the story in the form of a play.
• “Foot-Frenzy Friday”
  Invite students to wear zany or mismatched pairs of socks to school and read aloud The Foot Book or Fox in Sox at storytime!

These activities were found on Lakeshore's website

Play online games at Seussville.
 
1. Download and print this Green Eggs and Ham coloring sheet. 

I had to add this darling treat here. Ooo, I think we might be throwing a home school party! (I'll post pics later)

Play Cat, Cat Cat (duck, duck goose version)









Take a "cyber" field trip of the Dr. Seuss National Memorial

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Get Jiggy With It.... St. Patrick's Day Activities

Monday I went grocery shopping and the bull (my oldest) was soooo happy to see that I was throwing in a box of Lucky Charms (he knows cereal purchases consist of either Rice Chex or Cheerios)  This morning we used this Lucky Charms graph (thanks again Mrs. Kilburn!)

Then we read the book Patrick:Saint of Ireland and talked about missionary work.

After lunch we "tried" to do the Irish jig using the Folk Dance Fun CD. 

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St. Patrick's Day

Today St. Patrick's Day is celebrated by people of all backgrounds in the United States, Canada, Australia, and other locations far from Ireland, including Japan, Singapore, and Russia.St. Patrick's Day has come to mean a lot more than homage to a religious figure. It now embodies a concept of "irishness" which apparently needs to be fueled by liberal applications of alcohol.  So now I'm going out on a limb here and telling you why and how we celebrate St. Patrick's Day. 

Q:Who was Patrick? 
A: Irish nor British,  Patrick was a child of a wealthy patrician class, an elite group which enjoyed many privileges and comfortable lifestyle in what was once the island of Britannia. When Patrick was sixteen years old he was kidnapped by Irish marauders and was sold as a slave. He worked as a shepherd tending flocks on slopes of Slemish.  After six years, Patrick was able to escape, walking nearly 200 miles to the coast to finally return to Britain. Once back home, his experiences brought about a revelation, and he told everyone who would listen that an angel commanded him to return to Ireland as a missionary.

Q: Why do I have a interest in Patrick?

A:As a protestant child, St. Patrick's Day meant wearing green for good luck, shamrocks, and green food. Now at 26, I wanted to know who this guy was. I am not Catholic, and to be honest with you I wanted to find out on my own without anyone's opinion.  And to get this on the table, God want's us all to be saints.

Q: Do I teach my children about St. Patrick?

A: Yes. 
Q: Why?
A: Patrick was a man who received revelation to go and teach. God wants all  of us to go and be missionaries. We teach our sons about Ireland and its culture, including food:). I've been reading Patrick St. of Ireland to my children for the past two years. The book tells the story of him to a t.

Go Green!
Q:Where did wearing green come from?
A:Ireland and it's green lush area, of course! The shamrock is Ireland's national emblem.

St. Patrick's Day Irish Dinner
All recipes
Clover Cookies (easy to make)




Decorations
Martha Stewart has great decorations this year. Growing shamrocks will be great for plant observation. I think we will be making these shamrock boutonnieres (pictured below) with a small scripture place on them. Then we can go and hand them out to others.

 

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All Fun and Games

My oldest enjoys Valentines Day, because he loves to make and give things to others. Last year we made heart shaped cookies and gave them to three families in our church. The bull (my son) made cards for a few friends and family. This year I thought I would spice it up a bit. I found these ideas online. Here is a free copy of a lesson plan I made. I would love to hear your ideas plan  for Valentine's Day. God Bless

 

 

Dynamic Duo 

 Blast Off Rocket Candy

U Crack Me Up

Gotta have Food:

• Heart shaped everything. toast, sandwiches, cookies. I think sunflower butter and strawberry jam sounds great. Sunflower butter? Yep, they make it and I love it. Both my son's have a severe peanut allergy:(
• Smoothies. My boys love smoothies. I don't make them that often, and this is definitely a healthy choice.
• Strawberries and yogurt
• Valentines Kabobs ( Take some V-day fruits- blood oranges, red grapes, red and pink grapefruit, apple slices, and other red berries, some V-day veggies- red peppers, radishes, beets, and tomatoes and skewer them on kabobs with alternating cubes of white cheese, and you’ve got an easy snack that’ll satisfy there munchies without rotting your teeth.)

Games:

• Stacking Hearts (using candy hearts. can also be used for counting)
• Who Loves You Bingo (Can use dried cranberries to mark pictures, free bingo card) Have the children draw in the spaces. You will have to describe the person for your children. Remember to ask them who they are drawing:)
• Find Your Heart (construction paper, heart cut-outs) Cut hearts in half/different angles or with decorative scissors. Tape half of the hearts around a room and place the other half hearts-that sounds silly;) in a box for the children to draw from)

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Lesson Plan of Presidents and Symbols

Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go.    Joshua 1:6-7


We will be using various strategies and activities for our sons to gain an understanding of the importance of four past presidents and the current president. Hopefully they will be able to gain knowledge about the significance of these men to our national history. They also will be learning to identify national symbols that are important to our country.

I am planning on taking the boys to the Minnesota History Center for a field trip (thanks to another free pass through the library). Maybe I can work in a President's Day parade?

Here is a free copy of this month's lesson plan for President's Day that we will be using. (pdf format)

Presidents and Symbols of  Past, Present, and Future

Online Game

United States Map Puzzle

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